Hat machine



March 9, 1943. F, 3.-, DW 2,313,038

, HAT MACHINE Filed May 25. 194C) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fran/r For/ March 9,v 1943. F. Dow 2,313,038

HATVMACHINE lfild May 25, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

i FIGS. 106 l w l 102 Ej i i '94 INVENTOR. v Frank Farrestow 'ATTORNEYS 92 afi pins 39 to form a stop for the carriage next to be described.

The carriage constitutes the bottom block 4I and has four depending legs 43 on which wheels 44 are mounted to run on the tracks 33 between 5 the position shown in Figure 1 where the rear wheels are in the depressions 35. The ends 31 of the arms 43 serve to prevent the wheels leaving the track.

Movement of the carriage 4| is effected by an 10 arm 45 fixed on the shaft 29 and rotatable about the axis thereof upon movement of the handle 21. In its inoperative position the arm 45 takesthe position illustrated in Figure 1 directed to the rear of the machine.

or lug 41. Preferably axially aligned pins extend outwardly on either side of the arm 45g l groove portion 62 until by reason of the upward Then, as the handle 21 is rotated from the posi-v tion shown in Figure 1, to the position shown iniFigure 2 the arm 45 swings through an arc indicated bythe broken line in Figure 2.

On the rear end of the carriage is mounted `a bracket having guide'means illustrated as vertically disposed spaced parallel walls 52 in 5 the opposed iacesof which are formed registering cam grooves 54 one of which is shown iny detail in Figure 3. These cam grooves are open at their bottom ends as at 56 and extend forwardly and upwardly at an angle to the vertical as at 58 to, the most advanced point 60. From pointf`60 the camfgrooves extend upwardly and rearwardly at an angle to the vertical as at 62 and Aterminate in upwardly extending groove portions 64 which are closed at their upper ends. 30

The; operation of the arm and the movement of the carriage will be best understood from the following description of the operation of the hat forming machine of this invention.

Assuming that the machine is open as shown in 40 Figure 2 with the carriage in its lowermost position;and at the front end of the elevator where access can be readily had tothe block thereon, a felt bat is placed inthe lower block in a desired manner and the handle 21 swung to the 45 position shown in 'Figure 1 and the elevator and carriage elevatedto a position in register with the head 'where the necessary forming andV pressing operations are performed.` After such operations are completed, the handle is swung 50 down 'to'theposition shown in Figure 2. This cause the elevator I3 to move downwardly and, in' 'so moving, carrying with it the carriage 4|. As the carriage moves downwardly, the arm 45 swings preferablyy coincidentally with the ele- 55 vator in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, Yuntil the pin 41 on the end of the arm 45 reaches the mouth 56 of the cam groove. Then as the elevator I3 continues its downward movement and the arm 45 continues in its 60 counter-clockwise movement, the movement of the pin 41 in that portion 58 of the cam groove causes the carriage 4| to move to the left, as viewed, on the track 33, at the same time that the carriage is being carried downwardly by the 65 elevator I3. It will be noted that the cam groove changes its direction, see Figure 3, at the portion marked 60, and changes its direction to a generally upwardly and rearwardly direction so that as' the arm 45 continues its counter-clockwise 70 direction so that as the pin 41 on the arm 45 travels in the inclined portion 62 of the cam groove, the carriage `is given an increased speed of movementv to the left as viewed in Figure 2 and more rapidly reaches the extreme position 5 At its end, the arm "i3 45 is provided with a transversely extending pin I while, at the same time, the elevator travels downwardly to its lowermost position over a shorter distance. Then at the end of the travel of the elevator which coincides with the movement of the arm 45 in its extreme left hand position as illustrated in Figure 2, the pin 41 enters the vertically extending groove 64 and remains stationary to lock the carriage in its outermost position. Similarly, when a bat of felt is placed in the mould on the carriage at the beginning of a forming operation, and the arm 21 thrown in a clockwise direction the pin 41, being in the Vgroove position 64, commences to move the car- I3 commences to rise and the pin 41 is therefore positionedfurther and further down in the movement of the carriage it enters the groove Vportion-.wand moves the carriage more slowly until finally the carriage reaches a position in register withthe hollow. head II where the lugs 41 leave the groove, and thefemale die with the felt bat therein continues its upward movement to be brought into cooperating engagement with the die 16-88 in the head I I. 1

` As illustrated in Figure 5, the upper wall 10 of the hollow head II is formed centrally with a depending portion 12 formed with a vertical passage 14. A brim forming disc like element 16 of exible material such as rubber is carried on the lower edge 10 of the head and is of such size and shape as tov extend upwardly and be in contact with a spacing and positioning plate interposed between the depending portion 12 and the brim forming element 16, an aperture 82 in the brim forming element 16 and an aperture 84 in the plate 80 registering with the passage 14. Sealing means 19 may be disposed between portion 12 and the plate 80. The dome or crown forming bag element 86 which is also of yielding material, such as rubber, may take any form and has formed integral therewith an inwardly extending'lip or flange portion 88 which is held in place by disc 90 having an aperture 8| registering with the passage 14 so that the element 86 is substantially a'closed body with only the aperture 9| in register with theV passage 14. The inner surface of this top wall 88 is provided with an annular depending rib 92 which is Vreceived in the annular groove 94 in the plate 90 adapted to retain the parts in proper positions. Plate 90 is held in positionvby-bolts 96 shown as diametrically disposed upon opposite sides of the passage 14 and passing through registering holes in the parts 12, 80, 16, 88, and 90 and accessible from without the head 10.

Fluid either liquid or gaseous enters the space between the brim forming element 16 and the dome-10 from one source (pipe 91) and enters the male member 86 through the pipe 99 entering cylinder 98 registering with passage 14.

In'order that this forming operation on the crown of the hat may include a certain ironing eiTect-to cause the fibers of the felt to knit together more firmly, it is proposed to place a pulsating pressure on the fluid within the crown portion 86. Of course, the pulsating pressure may also be applied to the brim portion.v To this end, the pipe 98 serves as a cylinder in which reciprocates a piston |00 actuated by a pitman |02 driven in any convenient fashion as bythe motor |04 to which it is connected by suitable means shown as the eccentric cam |06. The plston I B is caused to reciprocate within the cylinder 98 to apply a pulsating pressure to the fluid within the element 86 and the consequent vibration of the yielding non-metallic flexible material forming the male member 86 causes an effective smoothing of the fibers of the felt forming the crown of the hat.

It will thus be seen that a hat forming machine has been provided which contributes to the rapid formation of a hat. Thus, a felt bat is placed in the mould on the carriage when the elevator is in its lowermost position and by a single movement of the lever 21 the hat is moved into cooperatitve relation with the die member on the dome or hollow head. During the ironing orforming operation, if desired, a kneading effect of the fibers of the bat may be effected by the motor driven pulsator and after the hat forming operation is completed, a throw of the lever in the opposite direction causes the separation of the dies and 'the movement of the female die to an accessible position at the outer end of the elevator without additional manual manipulation. This results in a considerable saving of time.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the composition, conguration and disposition of the component elements going to make up the invention as a whole as well as in the selection and combination or relative movement of particular features to accomplish specific results, and no limitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawings except as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a hat machine, the combination with a frame and a fixed head carried therewith, of an elevator` reciprocable with respect to the head, a bottom block movable on the elevator between a position in register with the head and a position permitting the insertion and removal of a hat from the bottom block and guide means carried by the carriage and an arm movable coincidentally with the elevator to coact with the guide means to move the bottom block with respect to the elevator.

2. In a hat machine, the combination with a frame and a xed head carried therewith, of an elevator reciprocable with respect to the head, a bottom block movable on the elevator between a position in register with the head and a position permitting the insertion and removal of a hat from the bottom block and cam groove means carried by the carriage, an arm movable synchronously with the elevator and a pin on the arm adapted to be received in the cam groove to move the bottom block with respect to the elevator.

3. In a hat machine, the combination with a frame and a xed head carried therewith, of an elevator reciprocable with respect to the head, a bottom block movable on the elevator between a position in register with the head 'and a position permitting the insertion and removal of a hat from the bottom block and spaced plates, opposed faces of which are formed with cam grooves and carried by the carriage, an arm movable synchronously with the elevator and pins on the arm adapted to be received in the cam grooves to move the bottom block with respect to the elevator.

4. In a hat machine, the combination with a frame and a fixed head carried therewith, of an elevator reciprocable with respect to the head, a bottom block movable on the elevator between a position in register with the head and a position permitting the insertion and removal of a hat from the bottom block and a cam groove extending upwardly at different angles to the vertical and carried by the carriage, an arm movable synchronously with the elevator and a pin on the arm adapted to be received in the cam groove to move the bottom block with respect to the elevator. f

5. In a hat machine, the combination with spaced vertical frame members, a fixed head carried at the top of the members, an elevator slidable on the frame members, a shaft, a pitman between the shaft and the elevator whereby the elevator is moved toward and away from the Xed head upon rotation of the shaft, a carriage movable on the elevator and adapted to support a bottom block, said carriage having a track, an arm fixed on the shaft and a pin on the end of the arm movable in the track to actuate the carriage.

6. In a hat machine, in combination, a head member having a depending central portion formed with a passage and bolt holes on opposite sides of the passage, a disc like brim forming element of yielding non-metallic material formed with an aperture to register with the passage in the head and bolt holes to register with the holes in the head, means to secure the periphery of the brim forming element to the head, a plate between the brim forming element and the head and formed with an aperture to register with the passage in the head and bolt holes to register with the bolt holes in the head, sealing means between the plate and the depending portion of the head, a crown bag formed with an inwardly directed lip, said lip being formed with a continuous bead on its surface, a retaining plate within the crown bag formed with a continuous groove in its upper surface to receive the bead on the crown bag and threaded apertures to register with the aforesaid bolt holes and an aperture therebetween to register with the passage and bolts in the bolt holes.

FRANK FORREST DOW. 

